Chapter 86: The Look of a Hero
Luxianbei had already understood the difference between equal and unequal familiar contracts while studying The Book of Siye.
An equal familiar contract is the type of contract she signed with Du Sixian, Meng Meng, and the cute little coat. Although they are familiars, the binding power of the familiar mark on them is not particularly strong.
An unequal familiar contract is divided into two types. The first type requires periodic offerings to the familiar in order to use them; from a certain perspective, it resembles employment, doing work for payment.
The second type is the enslaving familiar contract, which Luxianbei intends to sign with Zhang Yu. This type of contract mainly benefits the master. Once signed, the familiar’s actions, spirit energy, and even life and d*ath are at the master’s command.
If Miss Rabbit had signed an enslaving familiar contract with Mu Se, she might not have had a chance to resist at all.
The current Luxianbei is no longer the one forced to a dead end by urban legends in Happy Neighborhood, who could only forcibly turn the situation around using the familiar mark. She wouldn’t be foolish enough to establish an equal familiar contract with Zhang Yu.
Although an equal familiar contract also has some binding power over the familiar, for someone like Zhang Yu, who has already defied Phoenix once for his own beliefs, Luxianbei cannot feel at ease unless she has absolute control over his life and d*ath.
Admiring Zhang Yu is one thing, but guarding against him backstabbing her is another.
It’s not impossible for a familiar to backstab their master, as evidenced by the vivid example of Miss Rabbit betraying Mu Se; one must be cautious.
——
An enslaving familiar contract? Isn’t that akin to a contract of servitude?
In a daze, Zhang Yu heard the conditions presented and froze for a moment, instinctively wanting to refuse.
While he could accept being subordinate to someone and working for them, completely selling himself out was almost impossible.
If he signed the enslaving familiar contract, what would he do if his master demanded that he act against his principles in the future?
However, just as he opened his mouth, not yet having the chance to voice his rejection, that alluring voice echoed in his ears once more.
“Don’t rush to refuse. Let me ask you, what else do you have to lose like this? I know you’re worried that once you sign the enslaving familiar contract, I will make you do things against your will, but think carefully: do I have any need to do that?”
“Assuming I want to destroy what you hold dear, why would I go out of my way to expend a lot of spirit energy to save you? I could simply let you fend for yourself. After you’re gone, I could just go about destroying things—wouldn’t that be easier?”
“If you d*e, then anyone or any urban legend can attack what you protect. But if you’re alive, you have only me to guard against. One enemy you can watch for is better than countless potential enemies you can’t stop. I believe you’ll choose wisely.”
After hearing Luxianbei’s words, Zhang Yu fell into a long silence.
Noticing this, Luxianbei’s eyes flashed with cunning.
Not continuing to firmly refuse indicated he had been shaken. Now was the time to press his advantage!
“If you’re still worried, I can promise that when we sign the contract, I will add a clause: as long as you loyally assist me, after five years, I can change the enslaving familiar contract to an equal familiar contract.”
“What do you think? Think it over. If I make you do something against your principles in these five years, you can rebel against me any time after five years… Oh wait, with your abilities, it should be more like crashing a dump truck into me, right?” Luxianbei said.
Her current power already surpassed Zhang Yu’s, and she was confident she could still completely suppress him in five years, which was why she proposed such a condition.
Moreover, given her style, if Zhang Yu really planned to backstab her, she would probably eliminate him at exactly four years, three hundred fifty-five days, twenty-three hours, and fifty-nine minutes…
Not a minute sooner or later; it wouldn’t be desperate enough!
After hearing Luxianbei’s speech, Zhang Yu finally wavered and asked hesitantly, “Can you tell me… who you are?”
“Of course,” Luxianbei replied expressionlessly, “Calamity, the calamity that drives away disaster.”
She initially wanted to say “Lan Yi” or “Wang Buliu,” but considering that Zhang Yu would eventually learn who she was after signing the familiar contract, she did not hide it.
Hiding had no meaning.
In case someone named Lan Yi or Wang Buliu really turned up later, things could get a bit complicated.
“…”
Calamity? That name seemed vaguely familiar.
Zhang Yu fell silent for a moment, trying to search his memories for information about Calamity but failed.
Perhaps because of his severe injuries, his thoughts were as muddled as if he’d eaten half of a star cup, making it impossible to think clearly.
“Phew—!”
Retrieving his thoughts, he exhaled heavily, struggling to sit up, and with the loudest voice he could muster, he declared, “Calamity, I, Zhang Yu, am willing to become your familiar and serve you!”
After saying that, he collapsed back onto the bed, seemingly having burnt out the last of his life force, his consciousness once again growing hazy.
“Very well, remember what you said!”
In a daze, he heard a voice say this before a slender finger gently pressed against his forehead.
In the next moment, time seemed to stop, everything frozen in place.
Then, a faint chant rose up at his ears.
“There are those from Zhongshan, there is a woman in green, she graciously offers her spirit, can awaken the gods…”
An overwhelming surge of spirit energy flooded in, and he felt as if he’d been thrown into a furnace, engulfed by roaring flames in an instant.
Then, as if entering a hallucination, he saw a vast desert.
In the barren world, the sky was dark and the earth charred.
Amidst this broken, oppressive world, there stood a figure.
Like a ball of fire.
Standing between a dried-up riverbed and barren mountains, she wore a long blue dress, her figure enchanting and mesmerizing, drawing all gazes towards her, as if she were the center of the heavens and the earth, the only valuable existence in this world.
In the next moment, as that figure turned to meet his gaze, Zhang Yu felt the entire world ignite.
With blazing light rising from all directions, he listened to his heart pounding vigorously within, the scorching bl**d flowing like tidal waves, surging and turbulent.
The spirit patterns that had originally been uncontrollable gradually stabilized, and a weak yet warm stream of spirit energy began to flow slowly within him…
——
Not sure how long had passed, when a gentle breeze brushed his face, Zhang Yu finally woke from his slumber, opened his eyes, and quickly felt his body again.
Following this, he opened his eyes and saw a small, dark wooden house.
Zhang Yu frowned slightly, sat up, and checked his body with spirit perception, discovering that his injuries had been properly treated. Although still wrapped in bandages, he was no longer in serious condition, and the previously chaotic spirit patterns had also stabilized.
The only misfortune was that he had been in a state of uncontrolled spirit patterns for too long, resulting in severe night erosion, leading to monsterization; certain parts of his body had turned into metal.
After briefly checking his condition, he suddenly recalled signing a familiar contract with Calamity.
Looking around, the wooden house contained just a long table and three chairs; it was empty, with no extra decorations and no sign of Calamity.
Where is this…?
Just as that thought flashed through Zhang Yu’s mind, he felt a burning sensation in his forehead, followed by the sound of Calamity’s voice transmitting through the familiar mark.
“Are you awake? If you’re awake, let’s get to work!”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yu froze briefly; he recognized that voice.
It was indeed Calamity’s voice, seemingly imprinted in his soul since signing the familiar contract.
Did I really sign an enslaving familiar contract with her? Zhang Yu looked down at his hands, his expression solemn.
Could this be a bit too hasty?
What was I thinking back then?
Wait, will she know what I’m thinking now?
Realizing that Calamity might be spying on his thoughts through the familiar mark, Zhang Yu hurriedly organized his thoughts and asked, “May I ask where this place is?”
“This is my God Realm.”
God Realm? Could it be that Calamity is a Cataclysm Grade? Zhang Yu’s pupils dilated, his heartbeat quickening slightly.
He had studied under Phoenix for quite a long time and naturally knew what a God Realm was.
In his understanding, a God Realm is something that only Cataclysm Grade urban legends could possess.
Before signing the familiar contract, he had never thought that Calamity would be a Cataclysm Grade urban legend.
Realizing this, his attitude towards Calamity suddenly became much more respectful. “Work? What can I do for you?”
“Can you train humans? I see that you manage the people under you quite well, so I’d like you to help train the new recruits I’ve recently brought in.”
If Zhang Yu could manage the Solar Eclipse Association President well, it indicated he had this ability, and since he had already become her familiar, she certainly wanted to make good use of him.
A tool won’t go to waste!
Subordinates? Zhang Yu frowned and asked, “Sure, no problem, but where are they?”
“Step out of this small house, and you’ll see them,” Luxianbei replied. “Before you, I’ve arranged for a girl named Ji Yunpei to watch over them. Just find her and tell her you were sent by Miss Lan Yi to assist her.”
Pausing, she added, “Oh, by the way, Lan Yi is one of my aliases.”
After hearing this, Zhang Yu felt an absolutely non-negotiable thought arise uncontrollably in his mind—prohibiting the disclosure of the fact that Lan Yi is Calamity’s alias.
In almost an instant, he understood that Calamity was using the familiar mark to control his actions, and his feelings suddenly became complicated.
But then, he didn’t even have time to feel complicated.
【Prohibit killing innocents!】
【Prohibit selling Primordial Spirits and urban legend organs!】
【Prohibit…】
……
【Prohibit defaming Bai Xiaohua!】
A series of prohibitions flooded into his mind, causing Zhang Yu’s consciousness to briefly enter a state of confusion.
This is too much!
【Prohibit complaining about how many issues Calamity has!】
Zhang Yu, “…”
After a moment, when Calamity stopped issuing new commands and no longer controlled his actions, he finally let out a sigh of relief, adjusted his thoughts, and stepped forward to walk out of the small wooden house.
With a creak, he pushed open the wooden door, and the fresh, herb-scented air of the circular mountains, alongside the bright sunlight, enveloped him.
Zhang Yu squinted slightly and, after his eyes adjusted to the long-lost sunlight, he gazed forward and was shocked to see a scene before him.
Beneath the sky as blue as the sea, surrounded by green hills like a velvet carpet, there gathered nearly a hundred employees of Sunrise Biotechnology Company on the grassy ground, all the way to the horizon.
Yes, Zhang Yu recognized these people—or rather, he knew some of them.
In his ongoing disputes with the Solar Eclipse Association President and Sunrise Biotechnology Company, it was inevitable that he would encounter some members of Sunrise Biotechnology Company, and certain faces among them had appeared in the intelligence files on his desk more than once.
And now, Calamity actually claimed these people were her new recruits?
In other words, she had poached Zhang Shuisheng’s people?
Or, to put it more bluntly, she’d taken a huge chunk, nearly collapsing the foundation!
Well done!
Zhang Yu suddenly found himself liking this master, Calamity.
Anything that undermined Zhang Shuisheng’s interests was unconditionally supported by him. Since Calamity had entrusted him with training these guys, he would definitely do his best to mold them into obedient subordinates!
However…
Why do these guys seem a bit off?
Zhang Yu scrutinized the employees of Sunrise Biotechnology Company, a look of confusion spreading across his face.
Although these individuals had low spirit energy fluctuation levels, every time they appeared in his intelligence files, they were either arrogant and domineering or ruthless and vicious.
Now, however, he sensed an intense fear emanating from these people; every face was marked with unease, resembling walking corpses, with eyes hollow and vacant, like salted fish devoid of dreams. Occasionally, someone would emit a hoarse scream full of terror.
This mad scene contrasted sharply with the blue waters, green hills, and blue sky.
What on earth did they go through?
How could they end up like this? Zhang Yu wondered in confusion.
At that moment, as if answering his inner doubts, Calamity’s voice echoed in his ear again.
“They… well, I was just worried they would become restless if I kept them locked up, so I gave them a little warning in advance; it’s nothing to take to heart. You should just carry on with what you need to do.”
Zhang Yu, “…”
You call that a little warning?
People are about to go crazy because of you, okay?
Thus, the little bit of good feelings he had just developed towards Calamity was instantly extinguished.
This woman is too terrifying; not only does she possess Cataclysm Grade power, but her mind is twisted, and her methods are excessively cruel. She’s the look of a hero!
This was Zhang Yu’s first impression of Calamity after awakening.
